New partnership between UWE Bristol and Bristol Creative Industries will develop student talent network

UWE Bristol and Bristol Creative Industries (BCI) have formed a new partnership to support Bristol’s thriving creative businesses and provide enhanced careers opportunities to students entering the industry.

Bristol Creative Industries is one of the UK’s leading membership bodies for businesses and freelancers working in the creative sector. The not-for-profit organisation provides training and skills development, facilitates networking and business connections and supports sector growth, and currently has a membership of over 1,100. UWE Bristol will play a leading role in developing BCI’s student engagement and growing student membership.

With a rich creative and cultural sector in Bristol and the wider region, the partnership has been designed to offer insight and career opportunities to thousands studying courses rooted in the creative industries, including marketing, events, filmmaking, photography, media and communications.

Current and recent students can join BCI for free. Student members will have access to speaker events, placement and employment opportunities, and career advice from BCI members, which currently include Aardman, the Watershed and Bottle Yard Studios, giving students real-world experience and insight into working in the industry.

The partnership also aims to benefit BCI members, by developing a network of trained students who will make up the future workforce within the region and are ready to enter the industry.

Lynn Barlow, UWE Bristol’s Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Creative and Cultural Industries Engagement, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for students and for Bristol’s creative industries more widely, as we support Bristol Creative Industries’ strong network of businesses and freelancers with fresh student talent. We’re really proud to be playing a leading role in such an important organisation.

“At UWE Bristol, our programmes are designed with industry to ensure our students are meeting the needs of their future employers and are work-ready. Our partnership with BCI bolsters this further, by offering students greater access to creative businesses of all sizes for invaluable industry insight and career opportunities.” 

UWE Bristol and BCI officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the University’s Bower Ashton campus, which will commit both organisations to developing and supporting BCI’s student membership offering.

Lis Anderson, Bristol Creative Industries co-chair, said: “Talent and skills development is a top priority for our members and this partnership will facilitate early access to emerging talent for our members, at scale.

“Building upon strong connections with education providers in the region, UWE Bristol’s breadth of programmes and BCI’s membership base of employers will work to bridge the gap between education and industry, enabling many students from a wide variety of backgrounds to unlock new opportunities and career pathways right here from the creative hub that is Bristol.”